Switch-over device



AND MECHANlSMS Searph how, 1 7 9 Sept. 12, 1944. E. J. PANISH 2,358,094.

SWITCH-OVER DEVICE ori inal Filed June 26, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR I Era/m JPamg/p BY g a (Z .4!

ATTORNEYS AND MEHANlSMS 4 7 9 p 12, 1944- E. J 'PANISH swwcH-ovsn DEVICEOriginal Filed June 26, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q IQIVENTOR Era/em JPa/ao'k BY WM ATI'QRNEYS 7 AND MECi-iANlSMS Searcn new Sept. 12, 1944.E, J 'p s 2,358,094

SWITCH-OVER DEVICE Original Filed June 26, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 w %i;%Ila I I NVENTOR Fawn JLPazgw/z ATTORNEYS III uvl llll. I.I LIHL.IIIQ

AND MECHANISMS 4. 7 9

Sept. 12, 1944. J 'PANlSH 2,358,094

SWITCH-OVER DEVICE Original Filed June 26, 1941 4' Sheets-Sheet 4IN'VENTOR Era/1n Jj anm'k,

ATTORNEYS HNU IVIEDHHNIDIVIS 4: Patented Sept. 12, 1944 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE Original application June 26, 1941, Serial No. 399,951.Divided and this application June 26, 1941, Serial No. 399,950

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a selector or switch-over device foruse in a control system having a plurality of contro1 stations foroperating the same control device, especially a device requiring aplurality of operations for its control.

The present application is a divisible part of the invention disclosedin my copending application Serial No. 399,951, filed June 26, 1941,relating to a marine control system.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a switch-over deviceadapted to connect a controlled device, requiring a plurality of controloperations, to a selected control station, whereby only a singleoperation is required for transferring the control of all of saidoperations from one control station to another; and more specifically toprovide a switch-over device of the aforesaid type for transferring anelectrical, as well as a mechanical, control from one control station toanother.

Another object is to provide a switch-over device adapted to transferthe control of a plurality of operations from one control station toanother, to the exclusion of all but one station.

A further object is to provide a switch-over device So constructed thatsimilar motion of a control member at any selected control station isadapted to effect similar control operations in the controlled device.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described hereinafter andillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a portion of a control system, includinga pair of control stations, the switch-over device of the presentinvention shown in front elevation, and a device to be controlled fromthe control stations.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the switchover device of Fig. 1along the line 2-2.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section along the line 3--3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 i an axial cross-section of the bearing shaft and the operatinglevers carried thereby, substantially along the line 4-4 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail in axial cross-section of the ball and socketmounting for Bowden wires, subplate removed to show the interiormechanism thereof; and a reverse gear-actuating mechanism in sideelevation together with fragmentary portions of engine mechanismcontrolled thereby, including a reverse gear operating shaft and athrottle control lever.

The control stations C and C each comprises a. manually operated leverI0 or I0 adapted respectively to effect a mechanical control throughBowden wires II and I2, which connect the control stations to theswitch-over device S. The latter is connected by means of a Bowden wireI5 to a lever I3, pivoted at I4 and included in the mechanism M to becontrolled. The switch-over device S is constructed to connect Bowdenwires I I or I2 with the Bowden wire I 5 in such a manner thatcorresponding operation of levers I0 or I0 is adapted to produce similaroperation of the lever I3.

As shown in detail in Fig. 7, the manually operated lever I0 is securedto a shaft IOI having an arm I02 connected to the Bowden wire I2 leadingto the switch-over device S. The shaft IOI also carries an arm I03having contacts I04 adapted to engage contacts I05 on a segment I06.These contacts are connected to terminals I01 on a terminal board I08 towhich are connected wires I09 leading to the switch-over device Sthrough conduits H0. The contacts I04 and I05 control the operation of areverse gear and clutch operating mechanism R. for the engine and are soarranged that when the control lever is in intermediate position theclutch is thrown out. When it is advanced in one direction, the clutchis thrown in for forward operation, and when it is advanced in the otherdirection, the clutch is thrown in for reverse operation. Each controlstation also includes an interlocking device III controlled by solenoidsII2 which, in a. manner more specifically described in my copendingapplication Serial No. 399,951 filed concurrently herewith, throughelectrical connections also contained within the conduits H0 andcontrolled by the reverse gear operating mechanism R, preventsadvancement of the control lever in either direction beyond apredetermined point until the clutch is engaged. The electricalconnections passing through the conduits IIO from each control stationare connected selectively by the switch-over mechanism in a mannerdescribed below to wires leading to the reverse gear mechanism R andcarried in a conduit I I3.

The switch-over device comprises a rectangular casing I6 comprising top,bottom, and side walls, and provided with a rear cover plate I'I,

and a front cover plate I8 having a removable section I Be, said coverplates being secured to the casing I6 by means of bolts I9. The casingI6 is provided with perforated lugs 20 for securing the device to asuitable support.

Interiorly of the casing, a pair of ribs 2| extend downward from the topwall along the side walls providing supports to which a terminal plate22 of insulating material is secured. In one side wall, a number ofapertures 23 are provided to accommodate insulated conductors to beconnected to the terminals on said terminal plate, for joining theswitch-over device with electrical control means in the control station,and with electrical devices of the mechanism to be controlled.

Apertures 24 are provided in the top and bottom walls of the casing I6to accommodate the ends of the Bowden wires II, I2 and I5. A split clamp25 is secured to the casing at each of these apertures and is adapted toengage the sheaths Ila, I2a or Ia of the Bowden wires. A bolt 26 isprovided for tightening the split clamps against the said sheaths. TheBowden wires II, I2 and I5 terminate in rigid rods 21, 28 and 29, whichare telescopically mounted in sleeves 21a, 28a and 29a, protrudingthrough the apertures 24 into the casing. Ball and socket joints 30, asillustrated in Fig. 5, are provided at each of the clamps to permitlimited angular displacement of the rigid rods secured to the Bowdenwires and the sleeves which carry the rods.

A main shaft 3| is provided having its opposite ends journaled inbearings 3Ia in the side walls of the casing midway between the top andbottom walls. The clamps 25 on the bottom wall of the casing forreceiving Bowden wires II and I5, are disposed on the same side of theshaft 3|. The clamp 25 for Bowden wire I2 is disposed on the oppositeside of the shaft, each of the clamps 25, and the ball and socket joints30 enclosed therein being equidistant from the axis of the shaft.

Two spaced operating levers 32 and 33 are mounted for free pivotalmotion about the axis of the main shaft while a third similar lever 34is keyed thereto. These operating levers are provided with bearings 35eccentrically disposed and equidistant from the axis of the shaft 3|,for receiving pins 36 which are journaled therein and retained in thebearings by a shoulder 31 and a retaining pin 38. Beyond the saidshoulder, each of said pins is extended in the form of a. flattenedperforated lug 39 to which the ends of the operating rods 21, 28 and 29of the Bowden wires are attached. A pair of nuts 40 threaded to the endsof the rods secure them to the fiattened lug 39 on the pin 36.

The levers 32 and 33, secured to Bowden wires II and I2, are providedwith projections 4| on their adjacent or inner faces. When the pins 36of these levers are disposed in diametrically opposite positions oneither side of the main shaft, the said projections are adapted toengage a clutch member 42 carried on the main shaft between the twolevers, having recesses 43 for engaging the said projections.

The lever 34 connected to Bowden wire I5, is disposed adjacent one endwall of the casing and a collar 44 spaces it from adjoining lever 33.The clutch member 42 is keyed to a thickened portion 45 of shaft 3| andis adapted to rotate therewith, but at the same time it is slidableaxially of the shaft for alternate engagement with levers 32 and 33connected to Bowden wires II and I2.

The lever 32 connected to Bowden wire II is spaced from the other endwall of the casing by means of a collar 46, and from lever 33 byshoulders 4'! on the ends of the thickened portion 45 of shaft 3|.Accordingly, levers 32 and 33 are freely pivoted about the axis of theshaft.

Levers 32 and 33 are so spaced that the clutch member 44 is adapted byto and fro motion to engage one or the other of the two lever faces, buthas no neutral or disengaged position. The teeth 4| and recesses 43 areso disposed that the clutch member 42 can only be shifted from oneengaged position to the other when the two levers 32 and 33 extend fromthe shaft 3| in diametrically opposite positions.

The cover plate I8 is provided with a bearing 48 which extends into thecasing and accommodates an operator shaft 49. On its outer end, thelatter carries an operating lever 50 extending radially therefrom andhaving a grip member or knob 5| at its end. The said lever 50 isprovided with detent means adapted to snap into a pair of recesses 52provided on the cover plate of the device for positioning it in one orthe other of a pair of anguiarly spaced positions. On its inner end, thesaid operating shaft is provided with a crank 53. A bearing 54 near theend of the said crank receives a cylindrical extension 55 of a forkedmember 56 which engages the clutch member 42 by means of an annulargroove 51 in the latter. The forked member 56 is provided with ashoulder 58 engaging one end of the bearing 54 on the crank and a cotterpin 59 is inserted into the other end of the extension 55 to retain thefork against removal from its bearing.

The hub of crank 53 is also provided with a radial extension 60 shown asprotruding downward in the opposite direction from the crank arm andterminating in a cam or foot 6|. Below the said cam, a plurality ofswitches 52 are secured to the casing, each comprising an operator 63supported by a spring 64 and having a roller 65 at its upper end forengaging the cam 6|. In one position of the crank 53, the cam is adaptedto depress all of the said microswitch operators, while upon movement tothe opposite position, the said switches are all released, springs 64moving them to their opposite position. As shown in dotted lines in Fig.3, each switch is adapted, by means of a bridging contactor 62a, toclose one of a pair of circuits by bridging an upper pair of contacts62b when the switches are released by cam ill, and alternately to closeanother circuit through a lower pair of contacts 620 when engaged by thesaid cam.

Conductors 66 are provided to connect switches 62 to the terminal plate22.

Operation of the device is as follows:

When the operating handle 50 is moved to its lower position as shown inthe drawings, cam 6| has released microswitches 62, while the fork 56carried by the crank 53 has moved the clutch member 42 to the right,engaging the lever 33 connected to the Bowden wire I2 of control stationC, and thereby coupling the lever 33 through sleeve 44 with the lever 34connected to the Bowden wire I5 of the controlled lever I3. Engagementof the detent on the end of the handle 50 with the lower recess 52 ofthe cover plate I8 retains the operating handle and crank 53 in thisposition until it is desired to transfer the control I In u" \v- AND 479MECHANlS MS oven on to the other control station. As long asmicroswitches 62 are released, the circuits through contacts 62b will beclosed by bridging members 62a while the circuits through contacts 620will be open.

Since the main shaft. 3| is equidistant from the top and bottom walls ofthe casing l6 and consequently from the ball and socket joints 30 of theBowden wires l2 and I5, and since the ends of the latter are joined totheir respective levers 33 and 34 at diametrically opposite points,equidistant from the axis of the shaft, any linear movement of theBowden wire l2 caused by moving control lever ID of station C' willcause the other Bowden wire I to move a corresponding distance in itssheath.

When it is desired to transfer the control to station C, the levers Hiand I0 are first moved to corresponding positions so that levers 32 and33 extend in diametrically opposite directions from shaft 3|. The crank53 is then moved to the left by raising handle 50, the engaged detentyielding to application of manual operating force and reengaging withthe upper recess 52. The cam BI is thereby moved to the right in Fig. 3,depressing the mlcroswitch 62. The fork 56 is moved to the left b thecrank 53 releasing the lever 33 connected to Bowden wire l2 and engagingthe lever 32 connected to the other Bowden wire II. Lever 32 is therebycoupled to the lever 34, connected to the Bowden wire 25, and since thetwo Bowden wires II and are parallel, and the points at which they arejoined to the respective levers are equidistant from the axis of theshaft 3|, and equidistant from the respective ball and socket mountings30, any lengthwise motion imparted to the Bowden wire H by motion ofcontrol station lever I0 is transmitted to the other Bowden wire l5.

Depression of microswitches 62 causes bridging members 62a to interceptthe circuits through contacts 52b and close the circuits throughcontacts 62a.

The electrical circuits controlled by the microswitches are not shown.Suflice it to say that the microswitches are adapted in alternatpositions respectively to connect the electric control circuitsassociated with the mechanism M to control switches included in controlstations C and C and operated by motion of levers Ill and I 0'. Theapplication of the switch-over device of the present invention forselecting one of a number of control stations and rendering the selectedsta tion operative to control the throttle of a marine engine bymechanical means, and the electrical circuits of the correspondingclutch or reverse gear operating mechanism are more fully described inmy copending application Serial No. 399,951, filed June 26, 1941.

If it is desired to transfer the control of a plurality of similarsystems from one control station to another, a switch-over device of thedescribed type is provided for each system. It is possible, in this caseto mount the switch-over devices adjacent each other, for instance, as

shown in Fig. 6. In this case, the operator shafts 49 may be coupled forsimilar operation by means of a parallel linkage comprising, forinstance, bell crank 61 on one operator shaft, radial arm 68 on theother and a rigid link 69 joining the two.

Features of the apparatus shown and described in this application aredisclosed and claimed in my Patent #2,323,6l9, granted July 6, 1943, andin a division thereof, application Serial No 421,824, filed December 5,1941.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of thisinvention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. In a control system comprising a plurality of control stations, meansin each of said stations for effecting a mechanical control and meansfor effecting an electrical control; an electric circuit and amechanical operator to be controlled by either of said control stations;a selector device comprising means for coupling the mechanical controlmeans of one of said control stations to said mechanical operator;selector switch means for selectively connecting the electrical controlmeans of one of said control stations to said circuit; and commonadjusting means for operating said coupling means and said switch meansto render both the mechanical and electrical control means of a selectedcontrol station ellective to control said circuit and said mechanicaloperator, to the exclusion of the other control stations.

2. In a selector device, a pair of mechanical operators coaxiallymounted in spaced relation for independent pivotal motion; anintermediate pivotally mounted coaxial clutch member adapted to engagesaid operators in coupled relation; a pair of switch means forselectively closing a pair of circuits corresponding to said operators;and a pivotally mounted actuator for engaging said clutch member with aselected operator and for operating a corresponding switch means.

3. In a control system comprising a plurality of control stations, meansin each of said stations for effecting a mechanical control and meansfor efiecting an electrical control; an electric circuit and amechanical operator to be controlled by either of said control stations;a selector device comprising means for coupling the mechanical controlmeans of either control station to said mechanical operator; selectorswitch means for selectively connecting the electrical control means ofeither control station to said circuit; common adjusting means foroperating said coupling means and said switch means to render both thmechanical and electrical control means of a selected control stationeffective to control said circuit and said mechanical operator, to theexclusion of the other control stations; and means for preventingeffective operation of said common adjusting means when selector devicesoperated from several stations are in dissimilar positions.

ERWIN J PANISH.

